MLA’s school funding announcement more about election than solving issue

June 6, 2016

MLA Linda Larson and the Christy Clark government need to stop playing political games with our public schools.

Across the province, schools like Osoyoos Secondary School are being forced to close because Christy Clark’s government has starved our school system. This week, the B.C. Liberals gave back only a portion of the money they’ve clawed back from kids’ education in recent years, and expected applause.

Well, they don’t get it. Families across this province see this political stunt for what it is.

This wasn’t about doing the right thing for kids and parents. It wasn’t about providing the secure, stable and adequate funding that our schools need. It was all about MLAs like Linda Larson getting worried about an election in less than a year, and wanting the bad headlines to go away.

Residents here should remember that when parents and students were meeting to try and keep OSS open Linda Larson stayed away. On more than one occasion, she said that there was no point in her attending public meetings. And then she wrote a letter saying “I made every effort to remain in contact and support the entire community…” as if a letter was the same as talking to parents and kids face to face.

Finally, after giving the school district back part of the funding that was clawed back just months ago, MLA Larson described her announcement as “new funding” and suggested that it could save OSS. She even implored trustees to “do the right thing: keep the school open.”

It’s MLA Larson and the B.C. Liberals who need to do the right thing: stop playing politics with our schools, and stop putting B.C. kids last.

MLA Larson has failed to fight for her constituents. She ducked community meetings on the closure of OSS, and failed to admit her government’s role in creating School District 53’s budget shortfalls.